Flying-machine.



E. WACHTEL.

FLYING MACHINE.

rum-r1011 mam 1111.17, 1911.

1, 1 1 5,041 Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. WAOHTEL.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 17. 1011.

' Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER WACHTEL, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed January 17, 1911.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914. Serial No. 603,187.

the air, the force of gravity and the mo mentum of the machine; and anobject of this invention is to so dispose the surfaces and the load ofthe machine that the tendency of these forces will always be to maintainthe machine upright while in flight.

Objects of the invention are: stability of the machine While flying inthe air; automatic lateral balance without ailerons or wing warps; easeof guidance; strength and simplicity of construction; automaticrighting; and superior buoyancy during flight.

A further object is to so construct the machine that the forces involvedduring flight through the air will all tend to assist in maintaining themachine in the air and in equilibrium right side up. i

In carrying out this invention the machine is so constructed that itwill float as a boat in water as well as in the air.

Further objects and advantages may appear from the subjoinedidetaildescription.

A principle of this invention is that its structural features aregtriangular character, thus conserving trength, stability, high speedand buoyancy.

Another principle isthatthe surfaces are arranged to penetrate theairwith the least resistance and to act upon the air so as to tend toproduce above the'machine surfaces a vacuum so that the air pressurefrom below will be highly eflicient to support the machine; and saidsurfaces are so shaped and disposed as to act upon the air in such amanner as to produce minimum'displacement thereof as the machineproceeds forward.

the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlar ed detail of the steering, elevating andescending mechanism shown in vertical axial section on line' a Figs. 2,4 and 5. 'Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section on line w, Figs. 1, '3, 5

and 6. Fig. 5 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 6 is a side elevation. Fig.7 is an enlarged fragmental vertical transverse sectional detail on line:12, Figs. 5 and 6, of the adjusting means for the rear Wing. Figs. 8, 9and 10 are diagrammatic plans to indicate various forms of wings haveemployed with the prone pyramidal body and which may preferred form ofbe substituted for the wings shown in the other views.

In the several views solid lines indicate positions of the parts forstraight level flight and in some of the views dotted lines indicatepositions of parts for deflected flight.

The small arrows on the lines of cross sec tion indicate the directionof sight and large arrows in some of the views indicate the direction offlight.

The body 1 is a prone elongate triangular pyramid, the same beingtriangular in vertical cross section at 'any point and is provided witha central keel 2 and two side top rails 3, 4, all three of which divergefrom the poiht or tip 5 to the stern 6, the top rails 3,4, beingdivergent from each other in one plane, which is regarded as ahorizontal plane and the keel diverging from said horizontal plane at agreater angle than the divergence of the top rails; so that the form ofany normal cross-section of the body is an inverted isosceles triangleand the body is practically a prone elongate triangular pyramid havingits apex at the front. The side walls 7, 8, extend from the toprailstothe keel and from the prow or tip to the stern; each of said walls beingtriangular and united with the stern walls 6, thus to form a shell whichwill sustain a load in water. The top rails and keel are connected byany required number of triangular frames composed of upwardly divergentribs 9 of equal length and a shorterhorizontal top bar 10. It isunderstood that any form of bracing to strengthen the structure that maybe deemed advisable by the constructor may be supplied to stiffen theframe formed by the keel and top bars; but as this is no part of thepresent invention illustration of any body bracings other than thetransverse frames is deemed unneces sary. At the front end or tip of thebody the front elevating, descending and steering wing 11 ismounted,'the same consisting of atriangular leaf, the front tip of whichis practically at the tip of the body 1 and the rear edge of which isnormally parallel a to the longitudinal axis of the body.

journaled top c The with the plane of the top bars and norrnlal e frontwing is mounted to' rock and to tilt, being capable of deflectionfrom-said parallelism. to guide the machine laterally, and capable oftilting to raise and lowerrthe machine. The front win is preferably acurved leaf in the form 0 an isosceles triangle having relatively shortequal rearwardly diverging front edges, the long rear edge beingpractically normal to the axis of the body and bowe upwardly to the tipsfromthe middle; the traces of curvature of the wing'bein in verticalplanes that are parallel with t e rear edge. That is to say, the wingmay be regarded as a triangular segment of a cylindrical surface; therear edgeof the wing being in a plane normal to the axis of thecylinder. The rear edge of the front wing is rigid and is mounted bya-universal joint 12 on the body frame 1 and the tip 13 of said frontwing is movable up'and down on the axis of said rear edge. The rear'w'of the same general orm as the front wing and is preferably formed withtwo limbs 14, 15, that are scalene triangles, the front edges 16thereof'extending back at acute angles with the top bars 3, fl, to therear wing bar 17 which is' normal to the axis of the body and extendsacross the top bars at right angles to the keel. Said stern Wing bar isat 18 upon theends of the stern bar 10. The engine 19 will beappropriately'located at the stern Where found ad: visable in order tobring the center of gravity of the machine into right relation with thesupporting planes or wings and the propeller 20 is mounted behind thestern.

roportions of the several parts may be variedwithin the judgment of theconwalls, will b .which will con act with rearward lower porstructor.The front wing is ofcomparabeing one-third, more or less, the area ofthe rear wing. The side walls broaden rearwardly and slant inwardly andfrom the horizontal "plane of the machine in which the wings practicallylie, to a considerable distance below said horizontal plane at the rearof the machineas clearly shown in'F' 6, so'that as the machine speedsforwar the air which is moved by the forward portions of said above theplane of the air tions of the side walls] and the constant tendency ofthe body as it proceeds forward is to contactnew-alr and force theairlaterally from the vertical axial plane of the body, thus producing onboth sides of said body a condensation of air which reaches themammumatthe rear of the machine and top of the body. "Any advance, ascent ordescent of the-body through the .air will cause the top bars of saidbody to pass onward or downwardthrough the air thus conis larger thanbut is which a lip 36 at densed'and the spill of the. air, past the sidebars will tend to form a vacuum above the body, thus assisting inbuoying the-body.

The spill is more and more condensed as the rear part of the body isapproached and the most hi hly condensed spill comes into contact withthe undersides of the two limbs of the stern wing and said wingtherefore rides on such condensed air. The spill is most highlycondensed at the rear edge of said rear wing and near the bodyand therethe air has comparatively great inertia and affords a superior mediumfor the propeller to act upon to drive the machine forward.

There may be a continual spill along the oblique front edges of saidwing, thus tending to form a vacuum above said wing-from the frontedges'rearwardly. A final spill of condensed air occurs at therear edgeof the stern wing, which tends to form a vacuum above said win and body.The spill of air from the mac 'ne thus greatly assists in maintainingthebuoyancy of the body.

In order to increase the spill at the tips of'the stern wing, said wingis deflected ulpwardly and outwardly in a curve from t e body to theside tips. The rear edge of each of the wings'is thus up-curved from thebody to the side tips for the purpose of balancing the machine byreducing the air resistance as j the leverage increases. ,The upwardcurvatureof the wings causes the air passlng therebeneath to spreadoutward and spill "uniforml from along the rear edges of the wings. hecurved rear bar is stayed by a line 21 connecting the tips together andby guys 22 connected with the keel.

The tiller 23 may be arranged near the front apex of the rear wingandcomprises an upright which is jointed at 24: to the frame of the bodyand provided with a -wheel 25 around which is'wound in oppositedi1ections the tiller ropes 26, 27 the rope 26 on one side of the wheelbeing led ,past pulleys 28, 29, and connected with the universal joint12 of the front wing to de- -fiect the wing downward on while the othertillerrope is paid out by the wheel; said other tiller'rope being ledpastthe pulleys 30, 31, connected with the otherv universal joint ofthe'front wing to lower it when the wheel is turned in theoppositedirection. The elevator ropes 32,

led from the top and bottom of theside of .the

33, are I upright and are connected to move the apex of the front wingup and down for the purthe left side poseof ascending and descending.The aviator,s seat 34 is located immediately behind the tiller 23between and on a level with the top rails 3 and 4:: For the purpose ofadjusting the front edges 16 of the stern wing is adjustably secured bymeans .ofa bolt '37 passipg I'gar' wing a slotted standard 35 may beclamped to the cross-bar 10 to.

the intersection of the through the slot 38 of the standard. The

stem wing may thereby be adjusted to its most eflicient sustainingposition with relation to the load by turning it about the iournal 18and then securing with the bolt 37.

The ground wheels 39, 40, are carried by axles 41, 42, connected withthe body to support the same when at rest; and runners 43 are alsoprovided, the same extending from the stern to the tip of the body andbeing connected with the axles of the running wheels and convergingupwardly and bowed from the front axle to the tip, so that upon descentat a sharp angle the runners may first engage the ground. Stays 44 and44 between the front tip of the front wing and the tip of the body andbetween the side tips of the wing and the sides of the body serve toprevent too great deflection of the front wing in case of accident tothe steering ap paratus.

In case of breakage whereby the front wing is left free from control ofthe tiller, the descent of the machine will cause an upward deflectionof the tip of the front wing; and consequently an upward deflection ofthe tip of the machine as the machine descends. By reason of the lessersize of the front wing and the greater spill from the rear of themachine the tendency to a vacuum above the machine causes the ma chineto right itself even though the propelling force is m'l and the descenttends to be vertical.

In making a turn to right or left the undermost broad-side of the bodybanks against the air and the spill from such broad-side is effectiveagainst. the undermost lllIll) of the rear wing as the machine tilts inmaking the turn and the inertia of the air is thus effective against theunder surfaces of the undermost side of the body and the undermost limbof the rear wing;

and the tendency to a vacuum occurs on the upper side of the body, thustending to support the machine and revent it from turning over in makinga ateral turn. In

right position.

' The stern walls 6 are preferably pyramidal; tapering'from top tobottom and joining each other at the vertical axial plane of the body,and the propeller is preferably mounted at the upper portion of thestern so as to act upon the condensed air as it spills from the machine.1

I have shown the machine in the form I at present deem most advisable,but it is understood that numerous changes may be made in the form andarrangement of parts Without departing from the broad principle of theinvention.

In Fig. 8 the wings 45, 46 are rectangular, in Fig. 9 the wings 47, 48are practically oval, and in Fig. 10 the wings 49, 50 are secured. Thefront and rear edges 16 and' 17 of the wings are formed of rigid barsthat are fixed together at their ends and mutually brace each otheragainst change in the form of the wings.

The tiller wheel 25 being mounted on the upright 23 that is jointed by auniversal joint on the frame of the body affords unitary means tooperate the connections to control the front wing in both its rockingand titlting movements; and by reason of the arrangement of theconnections between the tiller and the front wing, the machine duringflights, will move in the direction toward which the tiller wheel ismoved.

The machine as shown has wings at the apex and stern only of the pronepyramidal body, there being a long open spill space between the frontand rear triangular wings so that the supporting, guiding and raisingand lowering e ects of the wings are maximized and may be made tocoiiperate or to work in opposition in the most effective way asrequired.

I claim 1. A flying machine comprising a prone pyramidal body, apropeller mounted at the upper portion of the larger end of said body, atrlan larly formed rudder wing mounted on t e upper side of the body atthe front thereof, and a second triangularly,

formed wing mounted 'on the top of said body at the rear thereof andadjacent said propeller, said wings having apices pointing toward thesmall end of said pyramidal body and sides deflected in an upwarddirection from said pyramidal body 'toward the tips of the wingssubstantially as and for the pur ose set forth. 1

2. In a ying machine, the combination with a prone pyramidal body, of atriangu larly-formed rudder wing mounted on the upper side of said bodyat the front thereof,

and a second triangularly-f'ormed wing mounted on the upper side of saidbody, at

toward the tips of the wings substantially.

as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a flying machine having a pyramidal body, the combination of atriangular rudder to tilt said wing when said shaft is tilted.

I mounted in said wing mounted at the top of said body to rock and tilt,a steering shaft adapted to tilt, a steering wheel fixed on said shaft,flexible members connecting said steering wheel to the lateral tips ofsaid wing to rock said wing when said wheel is rotated, and secondflexible members connecting said steering shaft to the front tip of saidwing ,4. In a flying machine comprising a pyramidal body, atriangular-formed rudder wing mounted on the upper side of the top ofsaid body and bowed upward from the body toward its lateral tips, alarger triangular-formed wing pivoted at the upper side of the stern ofsaid body and bowed upward from the body toward its lateral tips, and ,aguide mounted near the seat of the driver, having its front tip slidablyguide and adapted ;.,to be secured at diflerent points in said guide.

-5. In a flying machine, the combination with a pyramidal body, of atriangularlyformed'wing pivoted at its rear end to the niiaoeif der wingpivotally mounted at the top of said body to rock and tilt, steeringmeans to rock and tilt said-{rudder wing, a pair of pulleys mountedsubstantially at the'pomt of pivot of said rudder wing, guide portionsabove and below the point of pivot 0f i l said rudder-wing,flexible'members conneotpassin around saidggpulleys and connectedi ed atone end to the lateral tips of said wing,-

at their other 'end to the steering means whereby the wing may berocked, and second flexible members connected at one end to r the fronttip of said wing, passing around said guide portions and connectedattheir other end to the steering means wherebyther wing may be tilted.In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at 1:105 AngelesCalifornia this 6th day of January, 1911.

In presence of- Jams R. Towiqsnniu, I L. Benin lltlon. Y

